CARGO OF BEER BROACHED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 203, 13 September 1937, Page 6

CARGO OF BEER BROACHED

Evidence Of Wild Party In Railway Yards "THEY'LL REMEMBER IT" During tho week-end some person, or persons, unknown broached some 15 hogshead of ,beer which had been left in the Hastings railway yards awaiting delivery. The discovery was made oarly this morning by a railway porter, The consignment had arrived from the South Island on Friday and pending arrangements being made by Mr. Goo. Luttrell, of the Garlton Club Hotel, for delivery, was lioused in a goods, or Z waggon, and placed on the siding nearest Williams and Kettlc, Ltd. When making his rounds this morning a railway porter noticed a tricklo of liquid falling from tbe waggon, and his investigations revealed that one of thq end doors of the waggon had been forced . open. Inside there was a pronounced aroma and evidence of a "wild party" having been held. An examination showed that two of the 15 or 16 casks of beer had been tampered with to the extent of having holes bored in them. Beer was still oozing from the openings. when -the polico were making their investigations this morning, and the waggon floor was covered with the liquid. Apparently the visitors sought to extract the beer by syphoning it, for they bored iioles in the top of one cask, but their efforts would be defeated in this for all that they would receive would be froth when the first opening was made. The next barrel w&s opened on the side, and as far as can be ascertained about half the contents of this barrel have disappeared. Lying near.bv in the waggon was an empty ueer bottle and the top of a glass jar. Those in the "trade" are tfioroughly enjoying the joke, which is really upon the mtruders. The fact of the matter is that the beer is quile useless as a drink. It appears that when the beer is put into the casks at the brewery it is treated with brewers' crystals so that it .will "work," and before being dispensed over the bar it is uecegsary to treat it further with a porous spile for three or iuur days until it has settled down and stopped working, Even then ihe beer ia not ready foy cousumptjon, for it has to stand a further week or more to allow the sediment to settle and the liquid to clear. "It would tuste like poison," said one authority with a tiroad smiJe when commentipg on the incident. "I know of nothing eise that has such an awful taste as that beer would have. They'jl remember it all their lives."